Automatic time circuit-breaker.



No. 858,301. PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907. W. N. MARTIN, A. J. THOMAS & E. F. L. RUSSELL. A'UTOMATIG TIME CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25. 1904.

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\ No.858,301. I PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

W. N. MARTIN, A. J. THOMAS 6: B. P. L. RUSSELL.

AUTOMATIC TIME CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION Hum JULY 25. 1004.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

WALTER N. MARTIN, ANDREW J. THOMAS, AND EARL F. L. RUSSELL, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC TEIVIE CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed July 25,1904. Serial No. 218,120.

tains to make and use the same, reference be' ing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked. thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to means for breaking an electrical circuit at predetermined intervals the said means being operated by clock mechanism of such a nature that the operating part of the clock may be set to operate the circuit breaking arm at any desired time.

In our improved construction, we have shown the circuit breaking arm mounted on the spring-actuated arbor which operates the escapement wheel which performs the alarm function of an alarm clock, the spring-actuated arbor being allowed. sufficient movement to break the circuit. This circuit breaking arm is provided. with a part which acts on an arm connected with the vibrating escapement, whereby the escapement wheel is locked from movement when the circuit breaking arm has reached the desired position or location with reference to the separated contacts, when the circuit is broken.

In clock mechanism of the character hereinafter shown and described, the spring for actuating the arbor is wound to a suitable tension and means are employed to lock the gears for operating the escapement wheel against movement in response to the action of the spring, until a certain time has elapsed and the moment when the alarm mechanism is released, is determined by the person who sets the mechanism, the latter having a stem and a hand or pointer adapted to move around a small dial on the face of the clock.

Our improved circuit breaker is especially adapted for use in electric light circuits where it is desirable that the circuit be broken at a given time. Its advantages will readily be understood since by reason of its automatic operation by clock mechanism, the circuit may be automatically broken at any time of day or night. It is evident that it is equally well adapted as a circuit breaker in any circuit other than a light circuit where it may become necessary to break the circuit or cut off the electrical current at a predetermined time.

Having briefly outlined our improved construction as well as the function it is intended to perform, we will the same in detail reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illus trated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a front view illustrating our improved circuit breaker shown in connection with a clock the latter being hinged to a suitable base upon which the separated contacts of the circuit are mounted. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clock mechanism thrown over hinge to expose the rear side of the clock for purposes of winding or setting the alarm mechanism. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the circuit breaking arm in connection with the portion of the clock mechanism more directly connected therewith. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the circuit breaking arm in a different relative position. Fig. 5 is a section taken through the insulating base and illustrating one of the separated contacts.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the base partly in section, and showing a hand-operated circuit breaker for closing and breaking the circuit independently of our improvement. Fig. 7

is a view of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow in saidv figure. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view of an arbor showing a vertically movable gear mounted thereon and in section, the parts being shown on a larger scale.

. The same reference characters lndicate the same parts in all the views.

Let A designate a suitable base which is preferably composed of insulating material as wood. separated contacts A and A which are held in place by binding posts A and A to which lead circuit wires A and A from other binding posts A and A To these binding posts proceed to describe 65 upon its 75 Upon this base are mounted two I00 A and A lead the main circuit wires A and A The binding posts A and A are normally separated except when the contacts A and A are connected. by the circuit closing part A mounted on the arm A and connected with the latter by an insulating'piece A. A movable arm A, however, is employed and adapted to engage two contacts A and A connected with the respective binding posts A and A In this case the arm A is connected with a rotary part A and when thrown to the dotted line position in Fig. 1 closes the circuit independently of the contacts A and A This arm A being an ordinary feature or circuit-closing device, nothing is claimed thereon in this application.

The circuit closing arm A (see Figs. 3, 4 and 7) is made fast to an arbor B journaled in the clock casing and actuated by aspring O which operates the alarm mechanism of a clock such as we have chosen to use to illustrate our invention. The recoil of this spring rotates the arbor B and this move ment actuates the gear 8 which meshes with a pinion 9 fast on an arbor B carrying a gear 10 the latter meshing with a gear 0 fast on an arbor 0 This arbor O is also provided with an escapement wheel 12 engaged by an escapement 13 fast on a vibrating spindle 1 journaled in the clock casing.

In the ordinary performance of the alarm function, the rotation of the arbor B acts through the train of gears above described to rotate the escapement wheel 12 whereby the vibrating spindle 1 is actuated through the instrumentality of the escapement 13. This spindle 1 carries an arm 7 which vibrating with the spindle 1, acts on a gong to sound the alarm. In my improvement the gong is dispensed with and this vibrating hammer arm 7 is engaged by an auxiliary arm A connected with the arm A, when the latter has reached the limit of its circuit breaking movement. By reason of this expedient, the operating mechanism is locked against movement after the circuit-breaking function has been performed.

Referring now more especially to Figs. 3 and 7 let G designate the arbor upon which the hour hand is mounted. A gear 0 is fast on the arbor C and meshes with a pinion C suitably journaled in the clock casing. This pinion C meshes with a gear 4 carrying a hub 5 having an offset C formed. in its upper face. This wheel 1 is loose on an arbor C upon which is mounted. a small hub C provided with a pin 6 adapted to enter the offset C of the hub C when the wheel 4 has moved sufficiently to bring the offset into line with the pin. The wall of this offset is vertical on one side and inclined on the other, and the centralportion of the hub is hollow to receive the small hub 0 when the pin 6 registers with the offset. When the arbor G is turned to bring the projection 6 out of the offset C the pin 6 engaging the inclined side of the offset forces the wheel 1 and the hub 5 downwardly on the arbor C and against a spring 3 whose tendency is to raise the wheel 4 and its hub as soon as the pin or projection 6 is brought into line with the offset. The turning of the arbor, however, to bring the pin or projection. 6 out of the offset forces the wheel and spring downwardly whereby a projection (l of the spring engages an arm 2 rigidly connected with the vibrating spindle 1, whereby the latter is locked against vibration. In this way the entire train of gears adapted to be actuated by the spring 0, is locked against movement.

To the lower extremity of the arbor C' a hub C is attached (see Fig. 2), whereby access is given to the operator to adjust the arbor, to bring the pinor projection 6 to any desired position with reference to the offset C The extremity of the arbor C remote from the hub C is provided with a hand. or pointer C (see Fig. l) which is adapted to move around a dial C upon which are marked numerals from 1 to 12.

In the operation of the device, if it is desired that the circuit shall be broken at ten oclock, the arbor C is manipulated to cause the hand C to point to the numeral 10 on the dial C. The wheel C together with its hub 5, is continually in motion through the illstrumentality of the ordinary clock mechanism, and makes a complete revolution every twelve hours. New by the time ten oclock has arrived, the pin 6 of the hub C will be in position to register with. the offset C whereby the wheel 4: and the hub 5 are raised by the recoil of the spring 3, whereby the said spring is moved sufficiently to disengage it from the arm 2 of the vibrating spindle 1, thus releasing the spindle, and allowing the escapement wheel to rotate through the instrumentality of the spring-actuated arbor B and the interposed train of gears heretofore described. Assuming that the circuit breaking arm A has been moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus closing the circuit through the instrumentality of the part 1 the movement of the arbor B will throw the circuit breaking arm A to the dotted line position in Fig. 1, thus breaking the circuit. Vl hen this circuit breaking arm has reached the dotted line position in Fig. 1, its arm A will engage the arm A connected with the escapement 13, and lock the escapement together with the escapement wheel and the train of gears from further movement. When it is again desired to close the circuit, the arm A is again moved to the full line position shown in Fig. 1, and the hand C set for any desired hour as heretofore described. When this hour has been reached, the arbor B will again begin to move and the operation heretofore described will be repeated. From this explanation it Will be readily understood that the circuit may be automatically broken at any desired time.

Having thus described our invention, What We claim is:

The combination With clock mechanism provided with alarm actuating devices, of a circuit breaker connected With the said devices and arranged to be actuated thereby, the circuit breaker having a part arranged to engage a part of the alarm mechanism and WALTER N. MARTIN. ANDREWV J. THOMAS. EARL F. L. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, DENA NnLsoN. 

